The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-04-30
editorial Brfets.
BY REV. I. N. ATWOOD, D. o.
Canton, N. Y.

The article of the Rev. Samuel L.
Loomis, in the April Andorer Reuieav,
presents in somewhat jumbled but still
interesting manner the instructive facts
conct Ing the growth of modern cities
1t is reassuring to learn, that while the
tendency of population to coDgregate in
cities is marked feature of modern
times, nearly all over the world, the dam
gers from the crowding of people into
small areas are much less than formerly.
| Yet we believe health, comfort and moral
sanity would be better promoted by the
distribution of larger share Of the pop
ulation through the country.
Tie Meriden IndeG a new venture
in journalism, recommends itself to dis
Grimm ating public by presenting on the
first page Of its fourth number an excel
lent portrait of the Rev. J. H. Chaplin,
Ph. d. In these days of abundant news
paper illustrations, the publishers are on
the watch, like death, for shining mark.
DIR. Chapin is to be congratulated that
he passed through the ordeal of " trial by
newspaper" without suffering the sad
eclipse which SO obscures many yirtu-
GUS man that his best friends take him
for particularly bad instance from the
rogue's gallery. The accompanying
sketch, by Mr.. E. A. Horton, is written
with grace and good judgment.
DR.. Josiah Strong remarks: " Endless
punishment could not have been intend
ed to be reformatory." Since DR.. Strong
is defender of that sort of punishment
we wonder if he has ever asked himself
what it could be intended for? 1t could
not have been intended for the good OF
society; for society is benefited by the i'm
provement of its members, not by having
them fixed in uncleappess. Neither can it
have been intended for the protection of
society; punishment much short of end
less would serve that purpose equally
well. It could not have been intended
to vindicate the violated law: for the law
is vindicated by sufficient, not by endless,
punishment. DR.. Strong intimates that
it was intended to express Gods abhor-
renee for sin. How, then, does he express
his adherence of sin that is repented OF
and put away? Endless punishment is a
theological superfuity.
The publication by Mr.. George $.
Merriam of some letters addressed by
Henry Ward Beecher to him OF the edi-
torial conduct of the Christian Union,
and Qf one in which Ne. Beeeher secem-.
mends The UNIvERsALfsT and Christian
Leader as models in certain line OF ed
iting, recalls letter which we received
from Mr.. Beecher in 1870. We were at
that time editing the Boston Universal
ist," and had introduced the paragraph
style OF editorial. Mr.. Beecher was much
pleased with it and wrote cordial letter
OF appreciation to the Ito him) unknown
editor.
1t is charitable and catholic judg-
ment of Walt Whitman, that the five
thousand American poems, big and little,
that have appeared and been collected in
some permanent form, constitute, when
taken together, compact and orbic
whole of poetic influence to which even
the least contributes something. This is
a variation of the proverb-" nothing
made in vain;' or of the generalization,
" 1t takes all sorts of people to make a
world" Coming from poet who has SO
little in common with his fellows, this
large and liberal view of the use of little
poets indicates the mellowing effect of
age on spirit not naturally too magnan-
imous.
The Pundita Ramabai, native lady
of India and convert to Christianity, is
reported as saying in lecture recently
given in Springfield, that Christian mis-
sionaries do wrong to the heather by
ignoring from the first what is good in
their own religions, and SO from the start
create prejudice against the better way
they try to teach" Not only missionaries
to the heather but teachers of Christian.
ity at home are apt to be afflis.s with
this narrowness of view. The last thing
some worthy people will ever admit is,
that there is any good in any party, ssct,
or system but their own.
The Independent Identifies the car
thur Richmond" of the North american
ReUieao with Gail Hamilton. The resem-
blRnce is very striking; and we incline to
think our contemporary has unmasked the
real author OF those fierce aud unscrupuI-
GUS diatribes which have been leveled at
public men lately by this chivalrous
Richmond But it is not an authorship
that confers either honor OF fame. The
art of Misrepresentation and abuse is
practiced by so many men and women
without disguise that no one has the
smallest chance of winning celebrity by
firing dirt from behind mask.
We admire Mr.. Spurgeon's Saxon
vigor and are not displeased with his occa-
sional bluntness. An earnest man, with
real work to do, in a world cursed with so
many varieties of wickedness, must not
minee matters. But he sometimes fails
to distinguish between directuess and
discouItesy; between e8arseues5 and
, strength. To liken science, aud "the